In the metaphysics and new age communities, many terms are used loosely, and interchangeably; for example, what one person may call a ghost, another would call a spirit. What one person may call the higher self, another may call the soul. And what one person may call the soul, another may call their spirit.

My own perception of the terms Soul and Spirit come from the New Thought philosophy, which was born in the early 1800s, and because I think it’s very important to have some consistency when teaching and learning about metaphysics and the new age, I share these definitions with you!

Soul and Spirit are actually two very different things, as one has to do with our experience of individuation, and the other has to do with the animating, or creative force behind all creation.

Spirit
Spirit is the force behind creation; the everywhere present force that has created everything that you see, and everything that is yet to be. It’s the creative force waiting for instruction as pure potential – I most frequently use the term Pure Source Energy when talking about Spirit. Others call it God, Living Power, Essence of Life, Creator of All Beings, Mother/Father, or Divine Mind.

Soul
The soul is who we are, individually. And, we are each an extension of Source Energy (or Spirit).

Imagine that Source is a great central sun. The soul would be the ray of light shining off that sun – individuated, yet still connected to the source of Light.

Soul is who we are, Spirit is what we’re made from.

How We Create
The Soul is the creative channel that allows for Spirit to express through so that it can experience itself. This is the whole point of the process of individuation; so we can experience ourselves as the divine creators that we are.

We create by making choices. If that choice fails to honor the divine being that we are, we will likely experience suffering and setbacks. If our choices honor our divine nature, we experience enthusiasm, satisfaction, and ultimately abundance.

Our Soul is the part of us that makes the choice. Spirit is the substance that manifests that choice into our world.

Simply stated: You are a Soul, and all of your creations (yourself included) are made from Spirit (Source Energy).